Method of filling and sealing receptacles



T. M. ROYAL METHOD oF FILLING AND SEALING REcEPTAcLEs Aug. 4, 1942.

Filed March 7, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet l Search Room Aug. 4, 1942.- T. M.ROYAL 2,292,295

METHOD OF FILLING AND SEALING RECEPTACLES Filed March 7, 1940 5Sheets-Sheet 2 oearch Enom Aug. 4, 1942. T, M RQYAL METHOD oF FILLINGAND sEALING REcEP'rAcLEs Filed March 7. 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 @earchRoom Aug. 4, 1942. T. M. RoYAL METHOD OF FILLING AND SEALING RECEPTACLESFiled Marsh 7, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 search Room T. M. ROYAL 2,292,295METHOD OF FILLING AND SEALING RECEPTACLES Flled March 'T 1940 5Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug. 4, 1942.

Search Roo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF FILLING AND SEALINGRECEPTACLES 4 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in methods forpackaging materials in bags. More particularly the invention relates tonew and useful improvements in methods for packing material in bags andpackages and then sealing same under a Vacuum.

'I'he principal object of the present invention is to provide a novelmethod for packaging and preserving commodities in an air-tight packagefrom which the atmosphere has been exhausted prior to final sealing orclosing of the package.

Another object of the invention is to provide an tir-tight packageproduced by exhausting air through a valve provided in a filled, end ortopsealed package and then sealing said valve.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel apparatus ormechanism for effecting the exhaustion of atmosphere from the packagesfor finally and hermgcally sealing the same.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel bagor package structure which is particularly adaptable to the aforesaidpackaging method or process; and

A further object is to provide a novel method cr process for producingsuch bags or packages.

These and other objects of the invention and the various features anddetails of arrangement and steps therein are hereinafter fully set forthand shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic view in perspective of one method andapparatus for producing bags or containers in accordance with thisinvention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section taken on line 2 2,Figure l.

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of an openmouthed bag or containermade according to and embodying the present invention.

Figure 4 is a view in perspective partially in section showing the saidbag or container being lled with a commodity.

Figure 5 is a view in perspective showing the manner in which the openend of the bag may be hermetically sealed after said bag has been lledto the desired extent.

Figure 6 is a view in perspective, partially in section, illustratingthe filled bag with its upper end sealed and closed.

Figure 7 is a view in side elevation of a form of vacuum chambercontemplated by the present invention.

Figure 8 is a view in section taken on line 8--8, Figure '7.

Figure 9 is a view in section taken on line 9 9, Figure 8.

Figure l0 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the vacuum chamber andassociated pump.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of a package sealed inaccordance with the present invention.

Figure 12 is a view in perspective of the package shown in Figure l1with the top portion thereof folded down and secured for delivery to acustomer; and

Figures 13, 14 and 15 are respectively fragmentary perspective viewsillustrating certain modifications of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 1 of the drawings, the bag orcontainer contemplated by the present invention may be made by drawing aweb of paper or other flexible material I from a supply roll and betweena pair of opposed rolls 2 and 3, the upper roll 2 of which is providedwith suitably located cutting or punching dies 4 arranged to cut 0rpunch pairs of openings 5 in said web I at predetermined intervalstherealong.

It is important to point out at this time that the pairs of openings 5are formed in the web I and spaced therealong so that the transverseaxes of adjacent pairs of said openings 5 are spaced apart a distancelongitudinally of the'web I equal to the length of the bag desired. Itis further pointed out that the transverse width of the openings 5 ofeach pair is equal to twice the depth of the reentrant folds provided bythe bellows side walls to be formed and these openings 5 of each pairare spaced relative to each other and the web I transversely thereof sothat when the bellows-folded bag tube is later formed none of thematerial of the web I resides at the bellwsfolded reentrant portions inthe region of the bottom or top end closure area of the bag to beformed.

After the formation of the openings 5 as above described, adhesive isapplied to the surface of the web I surrounding said openings 5, forexampe, by a roll 6 from a paste box l, and a web 8 of heat-fusible orthermoplastic material, such as "Pliolm or the like, of widthcorresponding to that of the web I is drawn from a second sup. ply roll,the two webs I and 8 then passing beneath a roll 9 and duplexed inrelatively offset relation with respect to each other according to anyone of several methods commonly employed in the bag industry.

After duplexing as aforesaid the composite or duplex web then passesbetween a pair of opposed rollers I0 and II, the upper of which has aprojection or punch I2 on its periphery arranged to penetrate or die outa relatively small valve aperture or opening I3 through the duplexedwebs I and 8. On the other hand, the lower roller II has in itsperiphery a recess I4 arranged to register with and receive theprojection or punch I2 as it penetrates the webs. This construction andarrangement is best illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings.

At this time it should be pointed out that the location of the rollers Iand II, as well as their diameter, is such that one valve opening I3will be formed in each bag at a point substantially centrallytransversely of the front face thereof and adjacent though well spacedfrom its upper or open end of the bag, for example, as in the bag shownin Figure 3.

In lieu of the punched valve opening I3 and in order to eliminate thenecessity for disposing of the material punched out by the punch I2, thevalve may be formed by cutting the web to produce what might be called aflap valve therein such as indicated at I3a in Figure 13 of thedrawings.

'I'he duplex web is now brought over or around a forming plate I5 ofconventional form having the usual tuckers I6 and arranged to form atube having reentrant or bellows-folded side walls with the oppositeedge portions of the web 8 in overlapping relation along the upper sideor face of said tube. During this phase of the formation of the tube theedge portions of the outer web I are held apart or out of lappedrelation by a heated sealing element II which is interposed between saidedge portions of the outer web I so as to afford direct contact of saidsealing element II with the lapped edge seam portions of the innerheat-fusible web 8 to thereby effectively and permanently seal saidlapped seam portions.

The tube with its longitudinally sealed inner web 8 next passes betweena pair of rolls I8 and I9 which operate to now bring the edge portion ofthe outer web I into lapped relation in which relation they are securedby means of adhesive previously applied to the inner surface of theoverlapping edge portion of said web I as indicated at 20.

The thus longitudinally sealed tube next passes between a pair of rolls2I and 22, the roll 2I of which carries a cutting knife or blade 23arranged and operable to sever sections from the tube along linescoincident with the transverse axes of each pair of the now coveredopenings 5 previously described. These tube sections then passsuccessively beneath one or more rolls 24 and into a bottom end sealingmechanism which is arranged so as to grip or clamp each tube section asit is severed from the tube.

This bottom end sealing mechanism comprises a number of grips or clamps25 which move through the end sealing mechanism in opposing engagementwith each of the tube sections and in addition to these grips or clamps25 several transverse heated sealing elements 26 are sociated therewith,said elements being arranged with respect to said grips or Clamps 25 andthe tube sections so as to engage the rear edge portion of each thereofduring travel through this mechanism with the result that the heat fromsaid elements 26 penetrates the several layers of material of thesections to effect a permanent fusion of the adjacent surfaces of theunderlying portions of the inner ply 8 of heat-fusible or thermoplasticmaterial as indicated at A in Figure l of the drawings.

By forming the openings 5 in the web I in the manner and at thelocations previously described none of the material of said web I isintroduced between the reentrant folds and surfaces of the heat-fusibleor thermoplastic web material 8 at the bottom end of the tube or bagthus making it possible to obtain and secure a tight end joint at thebag bottom. The particular arrangement of the openings 5 in the web Ialso removes the material of that web from the reentrant folds andsurfaces of the heat-fusible web Ilat the top open end of the bag, asindicated in Figure 3 of the drawings, so that after the bag has beenlled it likewise may be tightly closed and sealed at the top end by heatfusion of the adjacent surfaces of the web 8.

After fusion of the bottom end of the bag according to the foregoingdescription it is discharged from the bottom sealing mechanism at whichtime the bottom end portion may be folded over and secured by means ofadhesive fiat against the face of the bag.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by the provision of the openings5 in the web I, whereby portions of said outer ply of backing materialare removed from the region or area of the reentrant bellows folds atthe top and bottom ends of the bag, none of said backing material isintroduced between opposite surfaces of the thermoplastic ply 8 at thosepoints and a, tight bottom and top end fusion of the surfaces of theinner thermoplastic ply or web is made possible, with the result thatthe occurrence of gaps or holes at the inner edges of the reentrantbellows folds is eliminated.

It will be obvious, of course, that in lieu of cutting sections from thetube prior to fusing the bottom end seam A, said seams A may be fusedprior to severing sections of the tube if desired, in which event allthat is required to be done is the positioning of the cut-off rolls 2Iand 22 after, instead of ahead of, the bottom end sealing mechanism.

In addition, it will be entirely clear that, in lieu of forming thevalve in the web during manufacture of the bags as above described, thevalve may be formed after the bags have been manufactured either byforming a suitably located valve I3 or I3a through either one or bothfaces of the bags as shown in Figure 14 of the drawings. Formation ofthe valve after manufacture of the bags, of course, adds an additionalindependent step to the process of the invention but a better centeringof the valve in the faces of the finished bags is afforded and theformation of valve openings through both faces of said bags has a deniteadvantage which is described in detail hereinafter.

Since a bag produced according to the foregoing is of the conventionalbellows-folded side wall type said bag may be expanded and its bottomformed in the usual way to produce a bag or container of the form shownin Figure 3 of the drawings. This form of bag can be placed in avertical standing position such as that shown and an upper end openingof comparatively large area is afforded for easy illing of the bag.

In accordance with the present invention the bags or packages are filledwith the desired commodity to a depth or height a substantial distancebelow the upper open end thereof and at least below the exhaust valve oropening I3 or I3a pro.. vided through one or both faces of said bags.The bags may, of course, be filled in any desired manner, such as from asupply hopper 21 (Figure 4) which, if desired, may be provided with ameasured batch discharge arrangement to insure uniform filling of saidbags to the desired weight. v

After the bags are filled with a commodity, the upper end or mouth ofthe bag is collapsed with the bellows side wall portions tuckedinwardly, and the upper ends of said bags are then hermetically sealed,for example, as illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings, by bringing apair of heated sealing elements 28 and 29 into opposing contact orengagement with opposite sides of the upper end edge portion of thefilled bag or container 'Ihese elements 28 and 29 may be heated, as inthe case of the elements I1 and 26, by any suitable means such as byelectricity, and the elimination of the outer web I at the sides of theupper end afforded by the cut-outs 5 enables the formation of an upperend seal closure which is free from pin holes as previously described.

The bag now has the general appearance shown in Figure 6 of the drawingswith the valve I3 or |3a opening to the space between the upper endclosure of said bag and the surface level of the commodity therein.

A plurality of these bags are now arranged in a rack or supportingstructure 39 (see Figure 8) having a. base portion 3l and alongitudinally extending central partition 32, the upper end of which isprovided with laterally extending flange portions 33. Extendinglaterally from opposite sides of said partition 32 are transversevertical partitions 35 each adjacent pair of which together with thepartition 32 deflnes a recess or stall adapted to receive or support oneof the aforementioned packages in an upstanding position.

In each of these bag receiving pockets a boss or like portion 31projects laterally from the upper edge portion of the partition 32, andthe filled bags are placed in the several recesses or stalls of the rack30 with valve opening I3 or I3a facing outwardly as shown in Figure 9 ofthe drawings, the bosses 31 acting as a backing or support for the bagsat and adjacent the valve area.

After a lled top-sealed bag has been thus placed in each recess or stallof the rack 39, said rack is moved into a chamber 39 upon track members40 provided for that purpose lengthwise of the bottom thereof. Thechamber 39 may, if desired, be provided with one or more windows ofsuitable thickness through which the operator may observe the variousoperations carried out therein. The chamber is now closed at both endsto the atmosphere by means of doors 42 and 43 which may, for example, bepivotally connected to the exterior of said chamber by pairs of links 44and 45 best shown in Figure '1 of the drawings. These links 44 and 45are pivoted to opposite sides of the chamber at 44a and 45a,respectively, and opening and closing of the doors 42`and 43, forexample, may be accomplished by aever 46 pivotally connected as at 41 toan exterior side of the chamber 39 and operable to raise or lower saiddoors through pivotally connected links 48 and 49 and a pair of links50, the link 49 being pivotally connected or mounted upon the chamber asindicated at 5l, and the pair of links 50 connecting between said link49 and links 45 as shown. With the exception of lever 46 the system oflinks for operating the doors is the same on both sides of the chamber39. Other means either manually or automaticalearch Roon.

ly controlled can, of course, be employed as desired for opening andclosing the doors of the chamber. 5

From the foregoing it will be seen that the downward movement of thelever 48 will open the doors 42 and 43 whereas an upward movement ofsaid lever 46 actuates the said doors into the solid line position shownin Figure 7, and in order to insure proper centering of the rack 3llengthwise of the chamber 39 and with respect to the valve sealing.mechanism hereinafter described the said doors are preferably providedwith inwardly projecting lugs 42a and 43a which engage and properlycenter said rack 39 upon closing of the doors.

When the rack 30 is properly positioned within the chamber 39 and thedoors 42 and 43 have `eeen closed, all as above set forth, a vacuum iscreated within the chamber 39 and the filled bags therein by exhaustingthe air from said chamber and from the bags through the valve openingsI3 in the latter. For this purpose a pipe 52 has one end thereofconnected to the interior of the chamber 39 and its other end connectedto the suction side of a suitable vacuum pump or compressor 53 as shown,for example, in Figure 10 of the drawings. Of course, during this timethe relief valve 54 is closed and a suitable gauge 55 is preferablyprovided for visibly indicating to the operator the vacuum createdwithin the chamber 39 and the filled bags as the air is exhaustedtherefrom.

When the desired vacuum within the chamber and bags has been attainedthe valve openings I3 in the latter are sealed or closed-off. This isaccomplished by means of two series of heated elements 56 which areadjustably mounted in arms 51 secured upon a pair of longitudinallyextending shafts 58 and these shafts 53 are rotatably mounted inbearings 59 adjacent the top of the chamber 39. These shafts 58 eachhave secured thereon a link 60 the inner end of each of which ispivotally connected as at 6I to a vertically reciprocable shaft 62extending into the chamber 39 and actuable by means of a handle 63pivoted upon the exterior of the chamber 39 as at 64.

The elements 56 may be heated in any suitable manner as, for example, byelectricity supplied thereto by conductors 65, and in order properly tocontrol the temperature of the heated sealing elements 56 the chamber ispreferably provided with an externally visible thermometer as well asautomatic thermostat control equipment for maintaining the temperatureof said elements 56 substantially constant.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the heated sealing elements56 are actuated simultaneously into engagement with the outwardly facingpackage surfaces they contact the surface area adjacent or surroundingthe valves therein with the result that the opposing wall surfaces ofthe heat-fusible inner ply of the package are fused together about thevalves thus sealing the same from the interior of the package.

As hereinbefore stated a distinct advantage may be obtained by formingthe valve opening through both faces of the bag or package. And,referring to Figure 15 of the drawings, if this is done, a pin or thelink 38 may be provided upon each boss 31 and arranged to projectthrough the valve openings as indicated, the heated sealing elements 56in such case being of tubular form or recessed as at 56a totelescopically receive said pins 38 and thereby positively andaccurately position the valve openings centrally in the path of the saidsealing elements 5E to insure proper sealed closing of the valves.

After the valve openings have been sealed as above set forth the heatedsealing elements 56 are withdrawn. The relief valve 54 is opened toadmit air to the chamber 39 and the doors 42 and 43 are then opened sothat the support or rack 30 with its packages may be removed from oneend of said chamber to make way for the next rack and packages which isslid into the chamber from the other end thereof. When the succeedingrack and packages have been placed in the chamber 39 the doors 42 and 43are again closed, the air exhausted and valve openings in the packagessealed as above described.

In order that the procedure may be relatively continuous in practicalapplication, the capacity of the rack 30 may be calculated upon thebasis of the time required for the evacuation and the valve sealingthereof Within the chamber and the number of packages for the next batchthat can be filled and their mouths sealed preferably at the packingmachine during that period of time.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the presentinvention affords a novel package and method and apparatus for producingsame which is relatively simple, inexpensive and capable of adoption orapplication to existing package making, filling and closing processesand equipment.

The invention, of course, is applicable equally to bags or packages,such as, for example, flat, Satchel-bottom, square-bottom and the like,other than those having bellows-folded side walls, and while variousfeatures of the invention have been illustrated and described inconnection with particular forms of containers and machinery, it is notintended to limit said invention thereto and, to the contrary, it iscontemplated that changes and modifications in both structure andmethods may be embodied and incorporated therein Within the scope of theannexed claims.

I claim:

1. In the method of filling and sealing an open mouthed receptacle ofthermoplastic sheet material having a valve aperture in its bodyadjacent the mouth thereof, the steps which comprise filling saidreceptacle through said mouth to alieight below said valve aperture,sealing the mouth of the receptacle by applying heat` transverselythereof to fuse togtetrfeopposing Wall surfaces of said sheet material,exhausting air from said receptacle thgghjaid valve aperture therein,and then sealing the valve aperture-by-neat fusing togtmh' a surfaces ofth`e`sleet material about the valve aperture While air is exhausted fromthe receptacle.

2. In the method of filling and sealing an open mouthed receptacle ofthermoplastic sheet material having a valve aperture in its bodyadjacent the mouth thereof, the steps which comprise filling saidreceptacle through said mouth to a height below said valve aperture,sealing the mouth of the receptacle by applying heat transverselythereof to fuse together the opposing Wall surfaces of said sheetmaterial, placing said receptacle in a closed chamber and exhausting airfrom said chamber and the receptacle through said valve aperturetherein, and then sealing the valve aperture by heat fusing together theWall surfaces of the sheet material about the valve aperture while thereceptacle is in said chamber and air is exhausted therefrom.

3. In the method of lling and sealing an open mouthed plural ply baghaving an integral inner ply of heat fusible material and a valveaperture adjacent said mouth, the steps which comprise lling said bagthrough its open mouth to a height below said valve aperture therein,sealing the open mouth of said bag by applying heat transversely of thebag to fuse together the opposing Wall surfaces of said inner ply,exposing the interior and exterior of said bag to a. vacuum to exhaustair from the bag through said valve aperture, and sealing-off the valveaperture from the interior of the bag by heat fusing together theopposing wall surfaces of the inner ply about said valve aperture whilesaid bag is exposed to said vacuum.

4. In the method of filling and sealing an open mouthed plural ply baghaving an integral inner ply of heat fusible material and a valveaperture adjacent said mouth, the steps which comprise filling said bagthrough its open mouth to a height below said valve aperture therein,sealing the open mouth of said bag by applying heat transversely of thebag to fuse together the opposing Wall surfaces of said inner ply,placing said receptacle in a closed chamber and exhausting the air fromsaid chamber and from said receptacle through the valve aperturetherein, and sealing-off the valve aperture from the interior of the bagby heat fusing together the opposing Wall surfaces of the inner plyabout said valve apertures While said bag is in said chamber and the airexhausted therefrom.

THOMAS M. ROYAL.

